


Get Away

by lunarlychallenged



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Eloping, F/M, Nuns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 11:09:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15290229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarlychallenged/pseuds/lunarlychallenged
Summary: Running away from your responsibilities is better when JoJo is the one helping you.





	Get Away

You were fidgeting in your seat, happy that the fabric of your dress was thick enough to hide your hands. “Sorry, Sister.”

You were sitting in the office at the church. You had been there before, but never like this. You had angered the sisters before, but never disappointed them. 

“Y/N,” she sighed. “You had such promise.”

You snorted at that. “A few weeks ago, you said that I would never be a good nun if I didn’t straighten up.”

“I said that because I knew you could straighten up,” she said.

“I don’t think I could,” you said. “If I stay, I’ll resent this work for the rest of my life.”

Her face softened, but you could tell she wanted to roll her eyes. “Of all of our girls, you never struck me as the sort to leave because of a boy.”

For the first time that day, you gave a genuine smile. “What can I say? I think most girls would leave if a boy like JoJo was the one waiting for them.”

 

 

The two of you had been raised in the church; by the church once the two of you were orphaned. His parents died a few months before yours, so he took you under his wing when you arrived in the orphanage.

Above all other things, JoJo was kind. When the younger kids were homesick, he could distract them. When things got dull and dreary, he would come up with games or jokes to bring the light back to the eyes of the kids.

When you were twelve, the sisters decided that you were well suited to join their number when you got older. They would teach you their ways, and you would grow into a woman who served and improved her community. You would lead New York City back to the Lord, and they would teach you how.

JoJo had been surprised. “Maybe they forgot that you tell scary stories about demons to the kids. You could remind them.”

“I dunno,” you said glumly. It wasn’t that you didn’t appreciate what the sisters did. You knew how important it was. You just couldn’t picture yourself doing it well. “I think that now that they’s made up their minds, there’s nothing to be done.”

“Just say no.”

“I don’t know how.” How could you say no to something good? There was nothing wrong with joining the church, but the idea of doing it yourself filled your chest with a rotten, nervous feeling. It didn’t feel right.

He gave you a sad smile. “You could run.”

“Where? I don’t have anybody waiting for me,” you said. “I don’t have any money, and I’m not old enough to work. I think becoming a nun is all there is for me. Maybe it’s what’s best.”

“I am,” he said thoughtfully.

“You’s what?” 

“Old enough to work. Lotsa places hire young boys,” JoJo said with a slowly blossoming smile. It was the smile he bore when he was making a plan.

“Bully for you.”

“No, Y/N,” he said eagerly. “I can work. I can make money, and I’ll get you out of here.”

You blinked at him, surprised. “You don’t have to -”

“I want to,” he interrupted. “I’s going to make enough money for you to go out somewhere. Make a life.”

A life outside of the orphanage. A life where you wouldn’t be the object of charity, or relying on somebody else’s kindness for your survival. You would just have to rely on JoJo for a while longer, and how would that be any different than usual, really?

 

 

She opened the file on her desk, revealing a paper with the heading “Jorgelino Josephino De La Guerra.” “I must admit, I never expected Jorgelino to be the cause of any problems.”

“I’m sure my loss is nothing too terrible,” you said dryly. “I never really planned to stay.”

“Why would you stay so long, then?”

 

 

JoJo frowned at the small box that he kept his money in. “This isn’t even close to enough.” Being a Newsie wasn’t an incredibly lucrative business, and making a new life for a girl when she didn’t have many opportunities for work was expensive business.

You sat crosslegged on the floor next to him. You had to be able to duck down quickly if somebody else showed up; you couldn’t get caught in a boy’s room. That may have been okay when you were kids, but two fifteen year olds were not to be trusted.

“I’ve actually been thinking about that,” you began. “Maybe it’s best for me to stick around for a while longer.”

“You’s gonna have to take an oath soon,” he pointed out.

“Not for a few years yet. But I’m getting an education here,” you said. “I’m learning, and that could help me out later, right?”

JoJo slid next to you to lean against the bed. “Maybe.”

You elbowed him gently. “Don’t look so sad. If we can’t get the money, I’ll just be stuck in a place where I’ll always have a bed and enough food.”

“You shouldn’t be stuck anywhere,” he said. “You should be able to make a life wherever you want.”

You sighed. It had been three years since you had been put on the track to ministry, and JoJo hadn’t given up on getting you out. You had half expected him to, once he realized how hard it would be, but he stood firm. You didn’t know how to tell him that he should keep the money; he was so busy looking at you that he never paid attention to the fact that he was every bit as trapped as you. 

“It’s okay, JoJo. I don’t feel so stuck, not with you here.”

He cracked a smile. “That’s good. I don’t feel stuck with you, either.”

 

 

“That was, what, three years ago?”

“Nearly,” you agreed. “I kept learning here, and he kept working.”

“What was your plan once you got out?” The woman on the other side of the desk rested her hands on the tabletop, occasionally rereading something from JoJo’s file. “Where were you going to go?”

 

 

“I have absolutely no idea where I’m going to go,” you said breathlessly. JoJo had led you up a fire escape to sit on the roof of a building. You weren’t sure that you had ever been so high up, and the city was breathtaking. 

“You could go anywhere in the city,” he said. He was sitting on the ledge, letting his feet dangle over the edge. He smiled at the thought. “Meet anyone, do anything.”

“Maybe I’ll open my own orphanage,” you said. “I’ll teach all of the kids to read and write, and they’ll always have enough food.”

“I don’t think I can fund that,” JoJo said dryly.

“I’ll marry rich.”

He laughed. “That’s a great plan. How’re you gonna swing that?”

“I don’t know,” you said. You edged closer to him and sat down, heart pounding when you looked at the ground. “I’ll figure it out when I get there.”

“Look at you, using men for their money,” he teased. “First me, to get out. Next a rich man, to help you settle down.”

“I’ll pay you back,” you said grandly. “And I’ll buy papers from you every day.”

“I won’t be a Newsie by then,” he scoffed. “I’s gonna marry a rich woman. I’ll be the richest man in town.”

The idea of JoJo getting married threw you for a moment. It was hard to imagine him being with somebody who wasn’t you, even if the two of you weren’t together like that. “Tell you what - I’ll marry you, once I’m rich.”

“You’ll already be married,” he pointed out.

“Not for long,” you said, putting on a low and intimidating voice. 

He roared with laughter. “When you talk like that, I ain’t so sure I want to marry you.”

“You have plenty of time to decide,” you said. You felt light enough to float away, which was a sort of scary feeling when you sat on the edge of a tall building. Even if it was for a joke, you liked hearing that he wanted to marry you. “We can’t get started until I’ve gotten out.”

Something brushed your fingers - when you looked down, you saw that his hand was touching yours. It was just a small thing; it didn’t count as holding your hand, but you were breathless nonetheless. 

“True enough,” he agreed. “We’s got plenty of time to figure it out.” You had plenty to sort out, if the way your heart had sped up signified anything.

 

 

“Getting you out doesn’t explain how he joined your little escape plan,” the sister pointed out. “How did it come to him waiting for you?”

 

 

You stood with the other sisters, holding cups of coffee to hand out to the boys. You recognized all of them from JoJo’s stories, but none of them had ever spoken to you. You had wondered before if he told his friends about you; some of them looked at you a little longer than a stranger would.

You never asked. You weren’t sure you wanted to know why they looked at you if it turned out that JoJo kept you a secret.

You brought a cup over to JoJo, and he smiled. “Thank you, Sister.”

You fought the urge to roll your eyes. “It’s my pleasure.”

He spoke a little louder than necessary. “Let me help you carry some of those mugs. We can check down the next street to see if anybody else needs some.”

The two of you rounded the corner, and JoJo leaned against the wall before taking a drink. “Y/N, you’s a lifesaver.”

“They’ve been giving handouts since way before I started helping,” you pointed out.

“I’s talking about seeing your face this early in the morning,” he said smugly.

You laughed. “Save it for the customers, pal. Charming me doesn’t get you anything.”

He sobered a little, but his smile remained. “Actually, it might.”

“Oh?”

“I’s been thinking,” he said. “About the money.”

Your heart sank. He was giving up. You couldn’t blame him, but a new fear had infected you for the past few months. What if he stopped trying to get you out, and decided to leave the church for good? What if he moved in with the other Newsies, and you never saw him again? Maybe you would get to give him coffee in the mornings, but it wasn’t the same. It wouldn’t be like playing card games, or eating supper together, or him teaching you dances that the nuns didn’t approve of.

“Okay,” you said in a voice as light as you could manage. “What of it?”

He looked into his empty cup as though his words could be found there. “What if I saved up more, and came with you?”

Your jaw dropped. “Really?”

“Sure,” he said. He looked up at you, eyes wide and young with nerves. “You and me, we could make a life together. Between the both of us, we could scrape by, and I think we could be really happy -”

“Yes,” you breathed. “Yes, we can run away together.”

He beamed. “We’s gonna have to stay around for longer.”

Your hands were still full, so you couldn’t reach for him, but you leaned against him a little. “That’s fine. As long as we need to. But we’re going to get out of here together.”

 

 

The sister folded her hands together. “So the two of you are running away together.”

“We are,” you said. Even now, ages later, you were breathless with the joy of it.

“Does he want to marry you?”

“That’s why it took us so long to get the money,” you said. “The license costs more than we had factored in, and we have to find a place to live, too. But we’ve got everything we need, so I’m here to step down.”

“I’m disappointed that this is what you’ve chosen.”

You wilted a little. Why was disappointment so much worse than anger? At least if she had yelled, you could have gotten angry. “I know, and I’m sorry. This would be a wonderful future for somebody, but not for me.”

“Even so,” she admitted, “I’m happy for the two of you. I hope you have a good life together.”

“We will,” you said with a grin. “I’m sure of it.”

When you left the room, JoJo was sitting on a bench in the hall. He rocketed to his feet, anxiety evident. “What did she say?”

The sisters could not, of course, force the two of you to stay. You realized now that he had been worried you would back out. “She gave us her blessing,” you said sarcastically.

He snorted. “Thank goodness.”

“Really, though. She’s disappointed, but she wished us well.”

He grinned. “Are you ready?”

“Absolutely. Are the guys already there?” You took the hand he held out, thrilling at the thought that you wouldn’t have to hide anymore. You hadn’t been allowed to see boys romantically, so you and JoJo had been keeping your relationship a secret. For the first time, you could hold his hand without fearing what others would say or do.

He nodded. “Do you have the rings?”

You patted your pocket. “That’s everything, right?”

“That’s everything.” There was a moment of silence, in which each of you observed the other. “Let’s get married.”

You beamed. “You sure you don’t want to marry into wealth first?”

“Nah,” he said proudly. “That would be a waste of time. I’m ready to be happy now.”

You half-jogged with him to the courthouse, where you knew all of his friends would be waiting. You didn’t really know what would come next, but it hardly mattered. You weren’t running away from a future so much as you were running to one.


End file.
